Christa Pike's health status: Woman who survived execution attempt ‘has pneumonia and no function in her arms’

Christa Pike, who survived Tennessee's failed execution attempt, is facing a long recovery period with serious medical complications, her lawyer revealed. Pike, 50, awoke and began speaking on Tuesday after six days on life support, but remains in critical condition, NBC News reported. She suffers from pneumonia, an arm blood clot, inability to swallow, and no function in her arms, according to her attorney, Randy Spivey.

The Associated Press stated that Pike endured burns and blisters to her arms during the execution process. She was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of classmate Colleen Slemmer and is the only person known to survive a lethal injection execution. Tennessee's execution team attempted to administer two doses of pentobarbital, but Pike only received a fraction of the lethal dose.

Medical experts suggest several possible reasons for her survival, including the drug quality and the placement of the IV lines. Pike's attorneys claim she endured at least seven needle pokes, and she has a blood disorder that makes it difficult for them to insert needles into her veins. The sourcing of execution drugs is a closely guarded secret, and Tennessee officials are investigating what went wrong.

Governor Bill Lee has paused executions and ordered a thorough third-party review to determine what occurred.